Stage 2: Confrontation
The psychotherapist should establish rapport with the client affected with NPD. Slowly he would enlighten the client’s vulnerabilities. This phase involves step by step confrontation and several arguments in repeated sessions. The client would be enabled to increase his self confidence which is very much needed to understand the situation. Therapist would set small realistic goals to the client supporting him in every possible manner to achieve it. The client would slowly emerge out of fantasy world reducing his shame and guilt feeling to face the real life. Self image of the client is reinforced in every session by the therapist to rebuild his character and personality.
Finally the therapist would explain to him/her the implication of the disorder and the consequences of his behavior on his family and office. In this stage medications are supplemented to manage anger and depressive signs.
Stage 3: Reconstructing Personality
The patient can continue with sessions for individual therapy combined with cognitive behavioral approach. Once the symptoms of grandiose and self importance are reduced, the client will be helped to rebuild his personality with life skill training program.
For some clients, family therapy would produce the desired outcome wherein the close relatives of the client would be made to understand the client’s weakness and ego. It takes several weeks or months for the patient to reconstruct his personality which is realistic and acceptable. Hidden talents of the client is exposed and used creatively and a sense of self worth is inculcated on the client.
In most of the cases continuous presence to the therapy sessions will help the client to recover fully. Only in severe cases of NPD in-patient treatment is given to cope with impulsive and self destructive behavior. The period of treatment varies with the intensity of disorder and symptoms. Early intervention of diagnoses can help the patient to recover quickly.
Can NPD Be Prevented?
Since NPD is a kind of personality disorder where changes in thoughts, behavior and emotions happen inside, nothing can be done to prevent it. The family can intervene to offer support and start treatment as soon the initial symptoms of excessive self importance and grandiose begin. Individual therapy can be given to talk and interact with the society in healthy ways. The patient can be trained with effective ways of dealing with conflict and ego weakness.